[SE] the joy of youth is to disobey

Technically, this wasn't disobeying.

For one thing, it hadn't been an order to stay in the Hallowed Ground. It'd been a suggestion, and, honestly a very reasonable one at the time... which led to:
ANOTHER thing was that Quanil had learned how to defend themselves (a little) with their staff (a tiny bit) and they'd remembered to bring it, along with some small amount of water, food, and a small roll of bandages. Just in case.
And, the third and final thing was that they had only discussed Halo with the provost, not Torchline.

So, therefore, this wasn't, strictly speaking, disobedience at all.

It still sat weird in Quanil's stomach though, like a heavy meal. They weren't, historically, a terribly obedient person. Not when the people they were supposed to be obeying didn't even understand them, anyway.

But Provost Silversmith was different, and even if he hadn't been, this was the Loreseekers' Guild. You were supposed to obey the guild master, right? That was part of the point of it.

So sneaking off to Torchline both thrilled Quanil and made them feel more than a little anxious. But what else could they do? Freina was still being distant, asking quietly to be left alone and thanking them for it. It made them restless to be hanging around, wanting to do something to help her and yet not being able to. They needed to get away, and their sister was safe enough for now.

This was their first trip through a portal, their first trip outside the area they'd been born in. They'd had no lecture to attend on Torchline's dangers, no clue of what to expect. So when they came out to a sunny, bustling port overlooking waters a blue they'd never even knew existed, all they could do was staaaaaaaaare, standing there with their staff held like a walking stick and their basic pack on their back.

Normally their mind ran faster than a man who'd sat on a candle thirty yards from the nearest water, but there was so much New, so much Strange, so much... WOW that it overwhelmed them and left their mind a peaceful blank of awe and wonder.

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

It was difficult to stay away from a place you should be avoiding, when the person you wanted to see most was there. And when there were sights yet to see, interesting places yet to visit, secrets yet to uncover. Maea didn't really have time to spare for this trip, but she somehow made it a priority anyway, drawn in by the sun and the sea, and the prospects of possibly running into the one person she should avoid right now.

Giving people space was not as easy as it sounded.

Especially not when they were blocking the path. Maea stepped out of the Portal at Kaiholo, and almost walked straight into the back of someone who had stopped just outside it. Gawking, looking for all the world like someone had clobbered them in the head. Maea squinted up at them, and found to her surprise that the face was rather familiar.

"Quanil?" she said, trying to draw the youth's attention. "What are you doing here?" Her voice was melodical, soft and quiet, and sounded rather curious. An impression confirmed by a raised brow, as pale as the hair that tumbled like seafoam down her shoulders. Unbound, for once, for the ocean breeze to play with.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

Hearing their name in a familiarish voice snapped them out of their reverie. They turned to the sounds and blinked. "Maea the D-...!" They stopped themselves. Given Mr. Sunjata's reaction to the informal title, Quanil thought perhaps it might be rude to say. Even ruder to say to her face. "Miss Valair," they said instead.

It was only now they realized they were blocking the pathway out of the portal and they stepped back to hopefully be a little less of an obstacle. "Sorry, I was just, um... lost in thought." They glanced back towards that impossible blue as the breeze carried the salty scent of the sea towards them.

They cleared their throat and pulled their eyes away, to look back at Miss Valair. "Well, I'm a Loreseeker, you know. I... have lore. To seek." They cleared their throat. "If we don't seek the lore, who will? You know how it goes." They smiled. Specifically, they tried to smile the way Mr. Sunjata did, when he wanted to end a conversation but wanted you to think it was your idea to do so and he was just being polite in going along with it. This was not a smile that came naturally to Quanil and they'd never practiced it before, just seen Mr. Sunjata use it at the VlamVloed sometimes.

Being awkward came very naturally to Quanil. It seemed, in fact, to be the majority of their nature.

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Maea the Whatnow? She gave the youth a quizzical look, not sure she knew what they had been about to say. Not sure she wanted to know what new terms people described her by. But she offered Quanil a quiet smile, listening with a throughtful expression to their explanation.

"I see. That's right, you did join the guild... I'm glad to see you like the work." She followed the direction their stares had gone towards, the dazzling blue sea under a balmy sun. "Is this your first time in Torchline? I hope Jigano gave you some pointers on how to get by out here... People are rather different than in the Hollowed Ground."

Not home. Not for her, anymore, and the sentiment was reflected in her choice of words. Maea too stepped aside from the immediate path to the shrine, regarding the younger person to make sure they were alright.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

They beamed under the recognition. That's right! They had joined the guild! They had completed the tasks the guild master had set for them and they were now officially a Loreseeker. They wore their pin proudly every single day, making sure it was visible to everyone at all times.

"I love the work," they asserted, even if most of it had been copying texts so far. It was the truth. Just being in the guild hall made them puff up their chest with pride. Being allowed to pass through those doors, to have access to the gathered information within... they didn't think anything in the world could have made them happier! And for someone else - a fellow Grounder! - to recognize them as a Loreseeker?! This day was getting better and better!!!

Buuuuuuuuut then... then she had to ask about Provost Silversmith. Which only reminded them that they no, actually, they hadn't cleared this little trip with him first. I'm not disobeying, I'm not disobeying...

They cleared their throat again (am I doing that too much? better stop) and smiled. "It is my first time to Torchline, yes," they agreed. Don't press me on the rest, don't press me on the rest...

"It sounds like you're pretty used to how things go around here?" they asked, hoping to distract her from the subject of the guild master. "Any recommendations? Tips and tricks from a seasoned pro, that sort of thing? Hearing about a place is nothing like actually being here - THERE," they corrected quickly. Big smile. BIG BIG TOTALLY INNOCENT SMILE.

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Maea nodded, empathizing with that exuberance. She had been the same when she first joined. Still was, as it hadn't been frightfully long since Jigano invited her in... What could it be, in total? A full season?

But Quanil seemed to take that enthusiasm to a whole new level, if the barrage of questions during Jigano's lecture on flora and fauna was anything to go by, and when they asked her for more tips - Maea assumed that the lack of denial here meant Jigano had prepped them somewhat at least - she saw no reason to deny them. "Sure, I don't mind," she agreed with a little smile. "Let's go down to the ocean, perhaps? We can talk along the way."

Gesturing to the enticing blue waves lapping against the beach, she indicated her company should go ahead, take that daring first step.

"I suppose the best way to start is to hear what you've heard so far. If you tell me, I know where to begin," she suggested.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

Oh, they were happy to go first, to begin towards that beautiful blue. It was all they could do not to run.

But if they weren't going to run, they had to move slowly, eyes caught by the dance of the waves. "Is it always like that?" they asked, watching the ocean. "I mean, I heard it was blue, but I didn't know it was BLUE."

It wasn't really a dodge of her question. It might have been considered so if they had had any thought in their head other than the ocean itself, but they didn't. It was entrancing. "I don't think I've ever seen so much water in one place. It doesn't even seem real." But then it did occur to them that there was another person here, and it was Miss Valair the Disappeared and she had asked... something.

They tore their gaze away and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry! What was your question?"

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Oh, this one would definitely be a source of headaches, Maea could see that. She was generally not fond of repeating herself, and was awkward at dealing with people at the best of times. This kind of fluttery, puppy-brained attention span would no doubt test her patience before long. Already starting, with the questions that could be rethorical but also might be serious.

And... what did she say? The ocean was always the ocean. Or did they refer to the color of it? The amount of waves, the glitter of sun on the surface, or...? Too many variables. Maea decided to focus on the only thing that seemed a legitimate question.

"Tell me what you've heard of Torchline," she repeated. Still smiling, still pleasant, but it was no longer so much a question as a request.

She followed down onto the beach, where tall palm trees and leafy plants faded out into soft white sand. The sun was warm and bright even with the onset of Leafchange. Paler than she recalled, but still strong enough that she pulled her shawl up over the head, to shield her face from the harmful rays. The weather was fair, winds calm and balmy, and the roll of waves onto the shore was steady and rhythmic; a pleasant first impression. Deceptively so, perhaps... she had seen what a storm looked like.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

"Right! Right, sorry. Um... well, that it's warmer than Halo, but then almost every place is. But warm warm." They paused to close their eyes to feel the sun on their face and almost tripped. Fortunately, they were able to plant their staff and keep themselves upright.

Eyes open and ahead now, they thought about what else they'd heard from the gossip and rumors. "And there's this blue ocean here, but... wow. Just WOW. And, uh... Miss Arialla likes it here?" they finished sheepishly.

It wasn't much. It probably wasn't anything at all what she was looking for. But it was the truth. "Yeah, that's... that's pretty much it."

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Maea listened to the list of impressions Quanil offered, and couldn't help but raise a brow. It wasn't much. Definitely not enough for Jigano to have filled them in before coming here... which meant this was not official Loreseeker business.

A personal trip then. She shrugged, seeing nothing wrong with that. Quanil was of age, perfectly allowed to go wherever and do whatever they wished. Grown enough to take responsibility for the consequences too.

"Alright... that's not a lot. Come here then, let me show you a map." Stopping, Maea reached for the satchel and brought out a prototype of the map she and Loren had started to make. It was rudimentary so far, but showed an outline of Torchline, focused on the Ahi coastline and the inner islands, mainly Apopo and Haulani with surrounding areas.

She knelt down into the sand, oblivious to the skirts pooling against the ground, and spread the large paper flat. Held it down with her hands, and raised rocks and seashells with her telekinesis, to make them drift over and pin the corners down, safe from the mischievous winds.

"Here's where we are now," she told Quanil, pointing on a spot. "Kaiholo Port; it's off in that direction." She pointed along the curving beach; in the distance, the shore grew rockier, and deeper in the sheltered cove the outline of buildings could be seen. Docks, houses, and ships lying anchored by wooden piers, waiting for the tide to change come evening. "If you go north, you'll reach Haulani - it's a city, like the Settlement, only larger. This is the Ahi coastline, the volcano Apopo, and the ocean is called Arclight... all have interesting things to offer if you want to try some exploration.

"I would suggest you get proper swimming lessons before leaving land though. Swimming here is nothing at all like the Oasis." Maea looked over at Quanil, to see if they were keeping up.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

For a second, they thought for sure they were busted. That Miss Valair would lecture them on their disobedience and they'd have to defend themselves and...

But no, instead she just pulled out a map - Oooh, maps, I love a good map! - and drifted down to the sand to spread it out. Quanil came and basically fell to their knees next to her (careful not to kneel on her skirts), eyes taking in the hand-drawn cartographic delight being spread out before them. They were so caught up in it that they almost missed the rocks and seashells coming over to weigh the corners down. Almost.

They were about to ask about her magic when she started showing off the map's contents. I'll get back to that, they thought as they studied each place she pointed to. "Wow, you know this place really well!" They wondered if this was where she'd disappeared to. Was it rude to ask? Probably. Probably rude to ask that but they wanted to knoooooooow. They kept that to themselves for now, too. There was a MAP to look at.

They glanced at the ocean waves as she mentioned swimming. "Yeah, the Oasis is never this... active. Or big. But if I stay just near the water and don't go into it, I should be okay, yes?" Their finger traced the Ahi Coastline carefully; they didn't want to smudge or dirty up the map. "Maybe go to the port first, since it's close, then follow the Coastline? Would that be okay?"

They'd gotten a little too used to asking questions, a little too used to seeking approval. Of course, they finally had it for the first time in their life, so it was a hard addiction to break. I'm not disobeying, I'm not disobeying, I'm not disobeying...

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

Maea gave the youth a wry smile. The enthusiasm was ceaseless, but Quanil seemed bent on overestimating her. When had someone called her 'miss' last? She was no seasoned Loreseeker, no great expert on Torchline, or indeed anything at all.

"I know the name of the areas, and general information," she corrected gently. "But I am still learning about this place too, so don't treat my words as law. I might be wrong. It's better if you keep an open mind about everything you see and hear, and try to form opinions of your own."

She followed the line they traced along the map, and nodded agreement. "It sounds like a decent plan. Go where you want though, you don't have to ask anyone for permission. Just... people here are different, as I said. They prefer to trade favors, rather than goods. So be careful about making promises if you don't know what you are agreeing to.

"The locals are hardy and stubborn, just like us, but they are far more prone to looking over their own interests than cooperating. Don't count on anyone to help you... and make sure you look after your possessions. Or they will be stolen." She made a face, remembering the little street urchin that nearly got away with her bag in Haulani.

"Do you have any questions you want to ask?" Maea thought it was better to get it over with sooner rather than later... while she still felt in the mood to answer them.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay

Does Quanil have questions?
When don't they have questions? Aside from when the ocean captures them and lulls their brain into something like peace for the first time in their entire life.

"You have really good advice, Miss Valair," they said. She'd given them a good reminder: Loreseekers should seek out and explore on their own, make their own opinions as they discovered the facts. "But it's still good to hear what people think. Especially you. You're a Natural and a Grounder and a Loreseeker - or you were - so your opinion is very important to me. I might end up disagreeing, but you still know this place a lot better than I do.

"And if what you say is true, it doesn't sound like there's anyone else I can count on here. Which... is weird. I wonder why they don't cooperate as much?" Uh oh, here we go. "If everyone only ever looks out for themselves, it must be a very lonely existence here, which is a shame, because it's so lovely! Maybe... perhaps there's something... Beautiful and warm on the outside, but cold and alone within." The last text they'd copied was an old series of epic poems.

"Why would they steal things when we could just trade and both come out ahead? I guess if you're only interested in quantity, then you come out ahead by having 2 instead of 1 but if you didn't need that one thing..."

They caught themselves and chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, sorry! You probably don't know how their minds work; it's silly of me to ask you. I just... sorry, never mind all of those. Um." They cleared their throat to think of a question Miss Valair could answer.

It took them a minute, but then they came up with what seemed like the best question they could ask. They looked from the map up to her and smiled. "Is there somewhere I could go or something I could do that would be helpful for you?"

Maea

And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain

They weren't questions as much as ruminations. Wonderings, musings, things to discover and explore on their own... Maea just listened with her head cocked in a rather feline manner, until Quanil had finished talking. "How about you go find those things out," she suggested. "Make it a project, while you are here... see what you can find out about their lifestyle, customs and traditions. Perhaps you will discover why they are different from us." It was as worthy a subject of study as any she could think of.

But then the youth asked a question that made her grow very still. A slight frown creased the skin between her brows, and the way she leveled her gaze on Quanil was slow and steady, and quite cautious. "Why... would you want to be useful to me?" she asked. It was not something she had ever been asked before, nothing anyone had ever offered. It made her feel very strange.

Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay